Movin' Out
by SonnysGirl711
Summary: What happens when Sonny wants the girl Jason loves most? Jason and Sonny lose their best friend. Detailed summary inside. Please read and review. Crossover with musical Movin' Out.
1. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

1_I got this idea a little while ago and I liked it but never really did anything with it until the other day when all the characters just fell into place in my head and seemed to work. It's a crossover between the musical "Movin' Out," and "General Hospital." I'm posting the first chapter and if people seem to like it I'll update._

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

Summary of "Movin' Out"

"Movin' Out is a musical whose story is told by Billy Joel songs and acted by dancers. Twyla Tharp choreographed the whole thing. It is a pretty awesome play and I recommend everybody go see it if it is touring near you, because it is no longer on Broadway.

Main Characters:

Brenda/Carly: Brenda is a rich girl, her high school prom queen. For the purposes of this story Carly is a Cassadine because she has to be rich and her family's role isn't important enough to create whole new characters for it.

Eddie/Jason: Eddie is just your average guy, and his high school prom king. He and Brenda get are high school sweethearts who get married. Jason is not a Quartermaine or related to them in this story. I'm just going to keep his last name Morgan, but his family isn't involved at all.

Tony/Sonny: Tony is a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. He works to support himself.

James/AJ: Best friends with Tony and Eddie, James is somewhat shy. His character is important and yet unimportant. He is a Quartermaine, the only child, and his family looks to him to carry on the family tradition. And in this story AJ stands for Alan James so he can be called James.

Judy/Courtney: Judy is Brenda's best friend. She and James are become engaged. She comes from a high class family like Brenda. She's not Sonny's sister in this story.

I'm going to keep their names the names from GH, except for AJ because he needs to be called James to go along with the songs. Sonny, Jason, and AJ are best friends and partners in the mob. So, that's it, now here's the chapter. Review if you like this story and I'll write new chapters– I want ten or so reviews. And for those of you who have seen the show, I omitted the overture where they do "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" because I didn't think it was too important to the story that I'm writing.

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Part One

_A bottle of white, a bottle of red_

_Perhaps a bottle a rose instead_

_We'll get a table near the street_

_In our old familiar place_

_You and I– face to face_

_A bottle of red, a bottle of white_

_It all depends upon your appetite_

_I'll meet you anytime you want_

_In our Italian Restaurant_

_Things are okay with me these days_

_Got a good job, got a good office_

_Got a new wife, got a new life_

_And the family is fine_

_We lost touch long ago_

_You lost weight_

_I did not know_

_You could ever look so nice after so much time_

_Do you remember those days hanging out at the village green?_

_Engineer boots, leather jackets and tight blue jeans_

_Drop a dime in the box, play the song about New Orleans_

_Cold beer, hot lights_

_My sweet romantic teenage nights_

_Brenda and Eddie were the popular steadies_

_And the king and the queen of the prom_

_Riding around with the car top down and the radio on_

_Nobody looked any finer_

_Or was more of a hit at the Parkway Diner_

_We never knew we could want more than that out of life_

_Surely Brenda and Eddie would always know how to survive_

Carly, Jason, Courtney, James and Tony sat in their favorite booth at their favorite diner, Kelly's. It was the first day of summer vacation, and the five friends had just graduated. Carly and Jason sat together on one side kissing. Courtney looked on from the other side of the table enviously. She had never seen two people as in love as Carly and Jason. She wished she could have that with her boyfriend James, who was sitting next to her.

Sensing her feelings, James took Courtney's hand and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said back to him.

Tony sat at the end of the booth in a chair, rolling his eyes. He loved his friends, but thought they were crazy. He couldn't see himself in any kind of relationship with anyone. He liked the single life and missed his two friends who had once liked it also.

"So, what are we gonna do all summer?" Sonny asked his friends, trying to break up the love fests. "I'm going to be working as you guys know, not only with the organization but here at Kelly's too, like I have been lately. Mike said he could give me more hours now that it's summer, and I'll make more money. But I still want to see you guys."

Carly giggled. "I don't care what I do as long as I'm with you," she told Jason.

"Sounds great," Jason said, smiling down at the love of his life. "But I am gonna be doing some work for the organization, too."

"Jase, I thought we were going to spend the entire summer together," Carly complained. She loved to complain.

"No, Carly. I told you that we'll spend as much time together as we can, but that I need to work this summer. We talked about this forever," Jason replied. They were always fighting over nothing.

"Now I have all these plans that are never going to happen. I can't believe you would do this after all the plans we made. This was supposed to be the best summer ever and you just had to go and ruin it for me," she pouted, getting up from the table and going out the front door.

Jason stood up. "Carly, get back here," he called.

"Same for me," James put in as Jason walked out the door behind Carly. "And of course I want to do a little partying, but mostly just hanging around, maybe trying to find a side job."

Sonny rolled his eyes again. He knew that amongst the three if them, he was the only one who was truly committed to the organization. It was his job, his life, and what kept him living. His parents had died years ago and he went from foster home to foster home, but he couldn't take it. So he moved in with one of his friends and found some organization work, which he did as well as managing a job at Kelly's. He had been independent ever since then.

_Brenda and Eddie were still going steady in the summer of '65_

_When they decided the marriage would be at the end of July_

_Everyone said they were crazy_

"_Brenda you know that you're much too lazy and Eddie could never afford to live that kind of life."_

_But there we were waving Brenda and Eddie goodbye._

Scenes from and Italian Restaurant, Part Two– One Year Later 

Carly, Jason, James, and Courtney sat in Jason's red convertible, parked by the lake, just hanging out and waiting for Sonny to get off from work. James and Courtney were making out in the back seat, while Carly and Jason were arguing yet again in the front seat.

"What is it this time?" Jason asked, familiar with the routine. Carly was always upset about something. He was used to it.

"I told you, I think we should take a break."

"Why, babe? That's the last thing I want to do. I thought we were closer than ever. I love you so much, Carly. How can you want to end something that's so good?" Jason asked, pleading with her to change her mind.

"Now that you're working with the organization more and moving up, it just seems like you have less time for me, and like I'm not as important to you. I can't ask you to give up your job. I know how hard you've worked to get where you are and how much you love your job, and I can't ask you to give it up for me. It's okay that your work is more important. I understand why it is. But I can't live with not being the most important thing in the world to you. This is the only way you can have what you want," Carly told him.

"What I want is you. You are the most important thing in my life, in the world. I don't know what I would do without you. How can I prove that to you, Carly?"

"There's nothing you can do, Jason. I don't want you to feel like you have to give up your life for me. I don't want to lose you either. You know I love you, but I think it will just be better if we end this on friendly terms."

Carly struggled not to cry. She loved Jason with all her heart. She did not want to live without him, but she knew it was the only way for them both to be happy. They had had to give up way too much to be happy together already. She didn't want to add more to the list, and she knew Jason's job was very important to him.

Jason shook his head and felt around in his jacket pocket. He knew what he had to do to keep her. It was the only thing that would work, the only way to make her happy. And that was all he wanted to do in life. Nothing else mattered as long as he had Carly with him. He had been thinking about this for a long time but had decided to wait. It wasn't something he was in a hurry to get done. But if it meant the difference between keeping Carly and losing her, it would be worth it.

"Carly, will you marry me?" he asked quietly.

She looked up in shock. This was not what she had been expecting. It was a crazy idea, getting married, but his proposal showed that he really did love her and it was hard enough resisting those clear blue eyes that saw right into her soul.

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been so sure about anything. I love you, Carly."

"I love you, too!" she squealed, excited. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Jason's face went from scared to grinning in a flash. He kissed her, so happy that she was his, for real. And forever.

Carly pulled away from him and turned around to face her friends. "Hey, guys," she interrupted. "Can you separate your faces for like two minutes, please? Jason and I have something to tell you."

James and Courtney parted, both glaring at her as if to say, "This better be good."

"We're getting married!" she blurted out happily.

"Oh my goodness!" Courtney yelled, jumping up to hug her best friend. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

James shook Jason's hand. "Congratulations, man."

Carly and Jason were smiling from ear to ear. Their friends' approval and blessing was very significant in each of their decisions as to what they were about to do.

"Let's go tell my parents," Carly said to Jason, for it was their approval Carly wanted next. Her parents had always liked Jason, but for some reason Carly was sure that they wouldn't be too happy about their marriage.

* * *

Carly and Jason walked into her parents' house and called, "Mom! Luke! Anybody!"

Her step-father Luke came down the stairs of the large house and said, "Hi, Carly. What are you doing here? Hi, Jason."

"Is mom here? There's something we want to tell you guys," Carly explained.

"Uh oh. Laura, you'd better get down here!" Luke called up the stairs. "I think your first Cassadine spawn is about to tell us that she's knocked up!"

"That's not what we wanted to tell you. Shut up, Luke."

Laura came down the stairs and embraced her daughter. "Now what is this nonsense? You're not pregnant, are you?" she asked, worried.

"No, mom. Luke was exaggerating, as usual," Carly told her, taking Jason's hand. "We just wanted to tell you that we've decided to get married."

Carly smiled at her parents as the whole room fell silent. Carly waited for her mother's reaction, but after there was none for some time, she asked, "Well?...Aren't you happy for us," even though from the look on Laura's face, Carly knew her mother was anything but happy.

"No, I'm not happy! How can I be happy when the two of you are about to make the biggest mistake of your lives? Carly, you can't get married. It's hard enough to get you to take care of yourself, let alone a house and family. And Jason, how can you get married? Your work is your life, and I know you think you love my daughter now, but you'll never be able to live with her. Can't either of you see the faults in your plans? And you're both way too young to be married. I'm disappointed that you would even think of this, Carly," Laura shouted.

Carly was fuming. How dare her mother tell her how to live her life? And how could she question what Carly knew was right?

"Well, we're getting married whether you like it or not. Let's go, Jase."

They left the house. Carly was angry, but Jason was silent. He hadn't said anything the entire time, and wasn't in a rush to speak. He didn't really feel like having Carly turn this on him. He knew that the lecture Laura had just given her was bugging her.

"Do you still want to do this?" Jason asked when he felt like he had to break the silence.

"Of course I do. I'm not gonna let them stop me from being with you. Let's just say screw them and do what we want. They'll see that we were right. Just give it time."

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Part Three– Carly and Jason have been married for two months

_Well they got an apartment with deep pile carpet_

_And a couple of paintings from Sears_

_A big water bed that they bought with the bread_

_They had saved for a couple of years_

_They started to fight when the money got tight_

_And they just didn't count on the tears._

_Well they lived for a while in a very nice style _

_But it's always the same in the end_

_They got a divorce as a matter of course _

_And they parted the closest of friends_

_Then the king and the queen went back to the green_

_But you can never go back there again._

Jason walked into the apartment he shared with Carly. It was modest, but it was the best they could do, and it was home. He called hello to Carly and saw the pile of bills waiting for him on the kitchen table. He wondered what his new wife had bought this month that would set them just over budget. His new wife– it was funny, those three words had lost the special ring they'd once had in his ears.

He sat down at the table and started opening the bills until he found it. "Carly!" he yelled.

She walked in, wondering what it was he could possibly want this time. He was always bugging her about one thing or another. Sometimes she wished he'd just leave her be.

"What?" she asked, ready for a fight. It seemed to her that fighting was all they ever did.

"Carly, how could you have spent three hundred dollars on a pair of shoes?" he asked, trying to hold his temper.

"I needed new shoes," she said casually.

"What was wrong with the shoes you already had?"

"They were out of style."

Jason couldn't take it anymore. Here he was working hard to make ends meet, but Carly kept getting in the way. "We can't afford to be buying shoes every other month. Since you decided that you weren't going to go to work so you could stay home and take care of the house, I've had to be the only one making any money around here. And you don't actually do any housework, so I end up doing everything myself. You don't do anything to help me around here."

Carly shouted back at him. "Well, you haven't made this exactly fun for me either. I never see you because you're so addicted to your stupid job. My mother was right, we should have never gotten married. I wish I had never done it. I've done nothing but fight with you since we've been married. It's to the point where I don't even like us anymore."

"You're right, I should have never married you!" Jason yelled.

"Well, if that's how you feel, let's just end this. Neither of us is happy here. I knew right from the beginning that we weren't supposed to be together. Why do you think I tried to break up with you last summer? I knew something like this would happen. We weren't meant to be."

"Obviously not."

"Then there's no reason to continue this any longer. I'll call my lawyers tomorrow," Carly told him.

Jason sighed. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to be with Carly forever. They were Carly and Jason. No one ever thought they would break up. They were the perfect couple.

He saw Carly glaring at him and gave her a dirty look, but they were both relieved. They knew their marriage had been a mistake from the start. Now that they had somewhat resolved their problems, they were both happier. Carly even let her glare turn into the slightest of grins. They knew it wouldn't be much longer until the could return to being friends.

_Brenda and Eddie had had it already_

_By the summer of '65_

_From the high to low _

_To the end of the show_

_For the rest of their lives_

_They couldn't go back to the greasers_

_The best they could do was pick up their pieces_

_We always knew they would both find a way to get by_

_But that's all I heard about Brenda and Eddie_

_Can't tell you mor than I told you already_

_And here we are wavin' Brenda and Eddie goodbye._

_A bottle of read, a bottle of white_

_Whatever kind of mood you're in tonight_

_I'll meet you anytime you want_

_In our Italian Restaurant._

_

* * *

_

_What did everybody think? Review and let me know if you want new chapters. Or I might just add them anyway because GH and Movin' Out are my two biggest obsessions. Please be nice as this is my first attempt at a fic. _


	2. Movin' Out

_Well, I only got one review, so maybe it's not that good, but I'm putting up a new chapter as a Christmas present to myself, because I'm really liking this story, even if it's just because it's mine._

Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing.

Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

_Anthony works at the grocery store_

_Savin' his pennies for someday_

_Mamma Leone left a note on the door_

_She said,_

"_Sonny, move out to the country."_

_Oh, but workin' to hard can give you a heart attack_

_You oughta know by now_

_Who needs a house out in Hackensack?_

_Is that all you get for your money? And it seems such a waste of time_

_If that's what it's all about_

_Mamma, if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out._

_Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat_

_At night he becomes a bartender_

_He works at Mister Cacciatore's down on Sullivan Street_

_Across from the medical center_

_He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac_

_You oughta know by now_

_And if he can't drive with a broken back_

_At least he can polish the fenders_

_And if that's what you have in mind_

_If that's what you're all about_

_Good luck movin' up cause I'm movin' out. _

Sonny walked around Kelly's diner at the end of the night, clearing up tables. He hated that job and would much rather be working for Marco Terlione, his organization's boss, but it was a job and it paid. Still, he knew he could be doing better work than this. He knew it, and everyone else told him so. Including Bobbie, who owned Kelly's and told him that he should be doing better things with his time instead of just working there. He knew it was a compliment, but still, it pissed him off. She made it seem as if she didn't even want him working there.

He wiped down the last of the tables and then went upstairs to his room. He thought about the conversation he'd had with Terlione earlier that day, after he'd finished a job for him.

"I like you, Corinthos. You're a good worker," he'd said.

"Thank you, Mr. Terlione," Sonny said, confidently, but trying not to sound overly cocky. Sometimes that was hard for him.

"I mean it. You did a good job out there today. Your friends do good work too, but yours is superior. I can see you taking over for me one day. I don't have any sons. This is a spot that you would be good at. You're the first man I've had come work for me who knew what he was doing on the first day. Pay attention to these compliments, son. I don't give them out to just everybody."

"Yes, sir. But do you really think I could run this whole thing one day?" Sonny asked. He liked his work for Terlione's organization, but he could never see himself moving so high up in it. Now that the idea was in his head though, it seemed like something he might want.

"I don't say things I don't mean, Corinthos. You could rule my whole empire when I'm gone. Maybe even before that if you keep working like you do," Terlione told him.

"And if I work harder?"

He laughed. "Do you hear this?" he asked the man standing next to him. "That's the kind of thing I like to hear. If you work harder, you'll end up with power that will surpass even mine."

Sonny still couldn't get that last one out of his head. "Power that will surpass even mine." And Sonny knew that his boss was pretty powerful.

Yes, he wanted that kind of power. If he hadn't known it before, he did now. Power was what Sonny had wanted his entire life; the ability to effect the outcome of things. He wanted to have authority, to be able to control things.

He sighed. Sonny knew he would have to quit his job. And a room above Kelly's wasn't exactly the ideal place for an up and coming mobster to live either. He'd need a new place to live. He wondered if Terlione would help him out with that, because he had no idea where to start.

"Mike?" Sonny called as he made his way down the stairs. He had to quit right then and there. He was just itching for more work with the organization, and the more time he had, the more work he could do.

"Mike? Are you still here?"

Mike walked out of the kitchen and said, "Hey, Sonny. What can I do for you?"

"I have to quit this job," Sonny blurted out. "And I'm going to move out of my room soon too."

Mike nodded. "I hate to lose you. You're one of my best workers. But I understand that this is what you've got to do. Just promise me you'll be careful. That organization can be dangerous. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt."

"Thanks, Mike. I'll be careful. Well, I'm going to go back to bed. Good night."

"Good night, Sonny. Let me know around when you'll be moving out."

"I will."

Sonny went back to his room, happy for himself. This job meant that he could finally be something more than just the orphan kid that he'd grown up as. He would become something from nothing, and no one would be able to take that away from him.

_

* * *

__Sorry it was so short, but the next few songs are shorter and therefore don't tell as much of a story. But after that they start to get longer. Please review. _


	3. Reverie 0 Just the Way You Are

1_Hey. Just decided I would update this story because it's Christmas. Also, I update quicker when there are reviews, even if it's just one. I have chapter 4 all written and chapter 5 is almost done. Enjoy! Please read and review. _

Reverie (Villa D'Este), Part One– Courtney and James's third anniversary

Courtney sat on the couch of James' house, waiting for him to come back with their desserts. It was their third year anniversary of dating and Courtney had never been happier. To celebrate James had brought her to his house, cooked her dinner, pampered her, and now he was getting desserts, her favorite chocolate mousse cake. And he still hadn't given her the present that he'd talked of nonstop for weeks. She wondered what it could be, but she knew it would be wonderful. Everything about James was.

"And here is dessert for the beautiful love of my life," James announced , carrying the two pieces of cake on a platter.

"This looks delicious," Courtney gushed as he handed her a plate.

James smiled mischievously. "Just eat it."

She started eating and he just watched her. She broke a piece off with her fork. A look of confusion came over her face as she saw a piece of paper under where her cake had been.

"What, did you drop the recipe in the cake or something?" Courtney teased.

He smiled. He couldn't wait for her to finish the cake and discover what his surprise was. "No. Finish eating."

She did as he said until finishing her piece of cake, revealing a sheet of paper. It was covered in chocolate crumbs, but she picked it up eagerly and read the message. "Turn me over," it said.

She turned the paper over, still feeling confused, but now she was excited. This had to be something to do with her surprise. And from the look on James's face, she knew it would be a good one. "Look under the pillow on the right side of the couch," she read aloud.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on," James coaxed. "Look."

Courtney lifted the cushion and found a small, black velvet box. She looked up at James, stars in her eyes, and asked, "What's this?"

"Open it."

She lifted the cover of the box and her eyes widened as she saw the diamond ring there, just waiting to be put on her finger.

James took the ring from her and got down on one knee. "Courtney, will you marry me?" he asked, full of hope.

She grinned at him. "James, I can't believe you're doing this. Everything was so perfect tonight. And you know I want to marry you more than anything in this world, but I'm scared," she confessed, her smile fading. "Are you sure this is right? What if we end up like Jason and Carly? Everyone thought they were the perfect match and they didn't even last a month. What if that happens to us? Jason and Carly thought they were each what they other wanted, and it turned out they were wrong. What if the same is true for us?"

Just the Way You Are, Part Two

_Don't go changing, to try and please me_

_You've never let me down before_

_Don't imagine you're too familiar_

_And I don't see you anymore_

_I would not leave you in times of trouble_

_We never could have come this far_

_I took the good times, I'll take the bad times_

_I'll take you just the way you are_

_I need to know that you will always be_

_The same old someone that I knew_

_What will it take till you believe in me_

_The way that I believe in you._

_I don't want clever conversation_

_I never want to work that hard_

_I just want someone that I can talk to_

_I want you just the way you are._

"Courtney, don't even think for a single minute that you are not everything that I want in life. I know we watched our best friends go through a painful divorce, but that's not going to happen to us. Carly and Jason rushed into marriage without giving it much thought. And neither of them really wanted to get married in the first place. It was Jason's way of holding on to Carly, and Carly's excuse to stay with him. But that's not us. You know us, Court. You're everything that I've ever wanted, and more than I could ever ask for. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. You and me, we're not perfect, but we don't need to be perfect. We have each other and that's all we've ever needed, perfection or not. We've been there for one another through the ups and the downs, the ins and outs, the good and bad, everything. We've made it this far, and from the way I see it there's no turning back, and I have no intention of ever doing so. You mean too much to me. But if getting married isn't what you want to do, then just say no. Just know that I want it more than anything in the world," James said, trying with all his might to persuade her that getting married was the best thing for them.

Courtney looked at the man she loved so much and knew that there was no one else in the world for her. "Yes, James, I will marry you–"

"Yes!" James exclaimed triumphantly. This was the happiest day of his life.

"But, you have to promise me that we can take this really slowly. I don't want to rush anything. I don't want to make any mistakes, because I don't know if I'd be able to bear living without you."

"I promise, Courtney. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Everything is your call from now on. All I'm concerned with is your happiness and having you in my life."


	4. The Longest Time 0 Uptown Girl

1The Longest Time, Part One– James and Courtney have been engaged for three months

_Oh, oh, oh_

_For the longest time_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_For the longest time_

_I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall_

_And the greatest miracle of all_

_Is how I need you_

_And how you needed me too_

_That hasn't happened for the longest..._

"Who are you planning on inviting to the wedding?" Courtney asked James. She was sitting on his couch, surrounded by pads of paper with countless lists for the wedding. James had no idea what they could all be for, but Courtney seemed to know, and they seemed to be making her happy for the time being. That was good enough for him. She was currently working on the guest list, which never seemed to be finished, but he didn't mind.

He laughed at her. "I told you a thousand times. The only person who I care about attending our wedding is you. But, I think my family would appreciate an invitation. So that's Monica and Alan, Edward and Lila, Tracy, Dillon, Ned, Justus, Emily, and Brook Lynn. And Sonny needs to get an invitation, and Jason of course, but he's going to be my best man, so of course he's invited."

Courtney's face fell, and James knew something had disappointed her. "What is it?" he added.

"Well, it's just that I've asked Carly to be my maid of honor. Are those two going to be able to handle being around each other?"

"Is Carly even going to come?" he asked. After the divorce, Carly had separated herself from her friends and moved back in with her parents, saying she needed time and space. The last time James and Courtney had talked to her she said she wasn't even close to being ready to go back to her normal life.

"She asked me to give her a week or two to think about it, and I said yes. How could I say no? She's my best friend and there's no one else I want to be my maid of honor. And if she says she'll do it we're going to have a hard time making this work with the two of them," she replied.

"Court, I know you feel bad for both of them; I do too. Jason is in no better shape than Carly is right now. But they're both adults, as well as our best friends. They should be able to put their feelings aside for one night," James reassured her.

Three weeks later.

James walked in the door to see Courtney waiting for him, a happy look on her face. Everyday she had some new surprise having to do with the wedding. He loved that it was making her so happy.

"Guess what!"

"What?"

"Carly just called!" she told him, exuberant.

"And?"

"She said she'll do it! She'll be my maid of honor. She even promised to try and have a good time, despite Jason being there."

"Oh, baby, that's great," he replied as she went to hug him. "Now we can start planning the announcement party."

She stepped out of his embrace and said, "Well, we're going to be really busy over the next few days. I was so excited about Carly accepting that I went ahead and booked the banquet room at the MetroCourt for next week. It was the only opening they had unless we wanted to wait until June, and by then everyone would know about the engagement. We would be old news. There's no way either one of us could keep this quiet until June."

"Next week? Busy is an understatement. We better get planning."

James hugged his fiancé again, never wanting to let her go. He had never imagined he could have someone as good as Courtney in his life. He squeezed her tighter, reassuring himself that she really was a dream come true, and whispered that he loved her, like he had so many times before. But every time still felt like the first with her.

Uptown Girl, Part Two– Courtney and James's announcement party

Sonny sat alone at a table, waiting for more people to arrive. The party had just started, and no one was there yet. At least no one important. James and Courtney were busy talking to the caterers, and Jason hadn't arrived yet.

Sonny checked his new Rolex watch again, proud that he could now have things like that. But he was also waiting for his boss, Marco Terlione, to get there. As James's boss as well, Terlione had been invited. Sonny planned to use it as an excuse to discuss business. He had moved up in the organization since quitting at Kelly's, and he'd done it fast. He planned to let nothing stop his progress– besides his Rolex he now had a new penthouse in the apartment building he owned, new cars, and guards on his apartment, plus an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, that was all his.

He waved to James's parents as they walked in, but his mind was focused on meeting with his boss.

* * *

Carly sat in her room, getting ready for the party. She was nervous, more nervous than she had been in a long time. She knew Jason would be there, and wondered what it would be like to see him after such a long time. She didn't know if she could handle it, but she'd promised herself that she would keep it cool for her friends' sakes. And at least this way she might be a little bit more accustomed to seeing him when it came time for the actual wedding.

"Carly! Are you ready to go?" her mother called from downstairs.

She walked out of her bedroom and into the hall yelling, "Yeah, let's go!"

Ready was the last thing Carly was, but she had to do this for her friend. She knew Courtney would be there for her if she ever needed it, and Carly intended to do the same for her. It would just be weird, she knew, after having been out of touch with everyone for so long.

* * *

Marco Terlione entered the banquet room and Sonny stood up to greet the man.

"Mr. Terlione," he said, waving his hand at his boss.

Terlione walked over to the table and Sonny shook his hand. They got deep into a conversation about their latest business dealings and nothing could have distracted them at this point. Sonny was so deeply involved with his work, and nothing could take his mind off it.

They continued their discussion. Sonny heard the entrance door open and a guest was announced, but he didn't take any notice of it until the room went silent. He looked up to see who it could possibly be that was causing such a stir, if you could even call it that. The people in that town were hardly ever quiet.

And then he knew why. Carly was standing at the door, all by herself looking alone and afraid. She'd been the talk of the town for the past few days, with people debating whether or not she would actually be brave enough to show up. Sonny had never taken more than friendly notice of her before because of the fact that she had been his best friend's girlfriend and then wife. But now he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He couldn't stand how everyone was standing there, just staring at her like they were dumb. Couldn't they see how vulnerable she was?

"Excuse me for one minute, Mr. Terlione," Sonny said, standing up.

Terlione went to protest but then stopped."I know that look. Go ahead."

"What look?" Sonny asked, confused.

He smiled. "Just go."

Sonny shook his head and walked over to Carly. She breathed a huge sigh of relief as he approached her. Why was everyone staring at her, she wondered. "Hi, Sonny," she said, reaching out to him for hug. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good. How have you been? It's been so long," he said, reveling in her hug. She seemed so fragile. He didn't want to let her go. As soon as he had seen her, he saw what he had never seen in her before, something beautiful. Her blonde hair was down and fell softly at her shoulders, and her red dress suited her perfectly.

"I know, it's been forever. I'm doing okay. Hanging in there. It's been hard, but I make it."

Everyone was still silent, and Sonny could tell she was uncomfortable standing there. "Do you want to sit down? My table is just over there. Or would you rather sit with Courtney?" he asked. Anything to make her feel good.

Carly looked at the table where Courtney was sitting with James. She saw Jason seated to the left of them. Their eyes met for a moment, but she averted her glance quickly. It was still too hard. "Let's just go sit at your table, okay?"

"Okay," Sonny said, placing his hand on her back and leading her to the table. His actions, as well as his feelings, surprised him, and he wondered where they had come from. He had never looked at Carly this way before. Now he couldn't take his eyes or his mind off her. He wondered if anything could ever be between them after so long, or if she'd even want him. But Sonny knew he had to give it a try. If his job had taught him anything, it was to never give up.

_Uptown girl_

_She's been living in her uptown world_

_I bet she never had a backstreet guy_

_I bet her mama never told her why_

_I'm gonna try for an uptown girl_

_She's been living in her white bread world_

_As long as anyone with hot blood can_

_And now she's looking for a downtown man_

_That's what I am_

Sonny pulled out Carly's chair and she smiled at him. It had made her feel nice, someone treating her like she was special.

"You look great, Carly. We've all missed you, Carly," he said, taking the seat next to him. He couldn't stop saying her name. The conversation about business was long forgotten, and his boss's continuing presence at the table was unnoticed to him.

She gave him a strange look, and he said in his head, "Get it together, man."

"Thank you. You're looking great yourself, with your new business suit and all. You must be doing pretty well for yourself," she replied.

"Yeah, well, work's been good lately. I've gotten promoted a bunch of times since the last time we talked. But enough about me. What have you been up to lately?"

"Just hanging around at my parent's house. I've worked for Luke at the Haunted Star a couple of times, but not too much. And I've been spending a lot of time with LuLu. She's such a great little kid."

"So, no new guys in your life?" Sonny asked. He figured he was being obvious, but he had to know.

"Ha! Are you kidding me? No, the only guys in my life right now are Lucky, Nikolas, and Luke. I mean, my parents did try to get me to go out with some guys, but they were all lame rich boys from their neighborhood. They want me to date what they call 'nice boys,' basically the mean clones of James. And don't get me wrong, James is a great guy, but he's not what I'm looking for," Carly replied. "Plus, all the guys that I did go out with never worked. Either I didn't like them or they didn't seem to like me. I guess it's like Jason says, I'm just impossible to stand for more than five minutes at a time."

_And when she knows what _

_She wants from her time_

_And when she wakes up_

_And makes up her mind_

_She'll see I'm not so tough_

_Just because_

_I'm in love with an uptown girl_

_You know I've seen her in her uptown world_

_She's getting tired of her high class toys_

_And all the presents from her uptown boys_

_She's got a choice_

Sonny glared at the place where his friend was sitting. He wanted to tear Jason apart. How could he tell this girl who was so beautiful, so funny, so kind, so smart, that she was anything but perfect?

"Carly, I–" he began, but Courtney and James approached the table and greeted her.

"Hey, guys! Congratulations!" she said with as much enthusiasm as she could. Carly was happy for her friends, but she couldn't help remembering the dreams she'd once had for herself and Jason. Maybe things would go better for Courtney and James. She hoped so.

"Thanks!" they said in unison, their faces flushed. Anyone could see that they were in love. Sonny observed them and thought how he wanted Carly to look like that one day, even if it wasn't with him.

"It's great to see you. How have you been?" Courtney asked.

Carly winced at the question and Sonny wished people wouldn't ask her that. It obviously brought back painful memories.

"I feel a little bit better every day. And of course, it's great seeing you guys. I've missed you a lot," Carly said.

"That's great. We're so happy you could make it for the wedding. I wouldn't want anyone else to be my maid of honor. Listen, we've gotta go, James's mother wanted to see us about something, but I'll come find you later, or you come find me if you need anything. And you can call me anytime you need anything, no matter what, okay?" Courtney told her as she walked away from the table.

"Thanks, Court. I will. That really means a lot to me."

She put her head down as soon as she was sure they were gone. Why was this so hard? They were her friends. Just because they happened to also be Jason's friends shouldn't have changed anything between them. She knew it hadn't changed anything, not really. She was only uncomfortable with their questions because they talked about the past, and the past involved Jason and pain. Carly didn't want anything to do with her past anymore. She was done with it, so why couldn't her friends be done with it too? All it did was bring back bad memories.

"Are you okay?" someone asked her.

She wanted to shout no, that she wasn't okay, but Carly recognized that voice and immediately picked her head up, trying to put herself together.

"Yeah, Jason, I'm fine," she lied, wanting him to get away as quickly as possible.

"Carly? Can we talk for a while?"

Sonny shook his head at his friend from behind Carly. Carly was too upset to handle something like this, and Sonny wasn't about to let her get hurt more.

Carly hesitated before saying. "Yes. All right." It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she couldn't let Jason see her all shook up over him still, months after their divorce. She had to show him that she didn't need him, that she was strong enough to get on without him.

She stood up and followed Jason to an empty table near the wall.

"What did you want to talk about?" she questioned once they were sitting.

"This is hard for me..." he began, just as shaky as she was but trying with everything he was not to let it show. "Carly, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for what happened to us. I shouldn't have asked you to marry me in the first place. It was selfish of me. I should have respected your decision to take a break, but I couldn't, Carly, I was too in love with you."

Carly's eyes filled up with tears at the reminders of all that she'd been through. "Jason, please stop," she begged him.

"No, just listen to what I have to say. I shouldn't have done what I did; I shouldn't have asked you to marry me just because I didn't want to let you go. We did all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. It was nobody's fault. Things just went wrong with us. We didn't try hard enough either. But, Carly, all that's in the past. It doesn't matter anymore. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wanna give us another shot."

Tears fell down onto her face now as he went on, "I haven't been the same since you left. And the only way I can see that happening is with you in my life."

Uptown Girl, Part Three

_And when she's walking_

_She's looking so fine_

_And when she's talking _

_She'll say that she's mine_

_She'll say I'm not so tough_

_Just because_

_I'm in love_

_With an uptown girl_

_She's been living in her white bread world_

_As long as anyone with hot blood can_

_And now she's looking for a downtown man_

_That's what I am_

_Uptown girl_

_She's my uptown girl_

_You know I'm in love_

_With an uptown girl_

_My uptown girl_

Sonny watched Jason and Carly talking, not moving his eyes to anything else. If Jason hurt her now, he didn't know what he would do. He didn't even know what he could do. He'd just realized these feelings that very night; feelings for a woman his best friend was still very much enamored with. What was he supposed to do? Tell his friend to just step aside? Sure, he knew that Carly was done with Jason for good, but could he do something like that to his best friend? They'd promised each other they'd never let girls come between them. Could he just ditch the person who'd been there for him so many times before for a woman? And more importantly, would Carly even want him to that?

He didn't know, but he did know that tonight, with this one woman, he chose her over his friend. Sonny had just realized that Carly was everything he'd ever wanted, and he wasn't about to give that up. They weren't even in a relationship and yet she meant so much to Sonny.

"She's special to you?" Terlione asked, feeling that it was okay to talk again. Sonny hadn't said a word to him since bringing Carly to their table.

"Yeah," Sonny answered distractedly, not breaking his stare.

"And I can see she's important to your friend too," Terlione stated. Now he had Sonny's attention.

"What do you think I should do?"

"How high is she on your list of priorities?"

"She's on the top, number one."

Marco was taken aback. He had asked Sonny this question before when he was making a decision, and Sonny's answer had always been, "At the bottom. My work is the only thing that matters." He was obviously very in love with this girl.

"Then go for it. Friends last forever, but a girl like that may only come for a moment and then you've lost her," he advised.

Sonny nodded. He had already made that same decision himself. Terlione's advice just made him more sure that he was going to do the right thing.

"Jason, why did you have to make this so hard? I was working on getting past us, and then you come over here with this confession that you want to try again. No. I can't do it, Jason. I'm sorry for what went wrong between us, but if we can't make it work once, chances are we won't be able to make it work at all. I'd wanted to try being friends with you again when I felt well enough to do so, but obviously you're going to make that too difficult for me. Just go," Carly pleaded.

"Will you just think about this? Please?"

"No!" she shouted. Everyone turned to look at them and she suddenly realized how loudly she'd spoken.

"I'm sorry, Jason, but I can't go down that road again," she said, speaking softer. "Can't you see how much pain this has caused me already? I can't go through that again."

She waited for Jason to reply but he said nothing, just turned and walked away. Carly's head dropped and she started crying, but she wasn't as upset as she had been before. She knew she'd done the right thing for herself, regardless of what Jason wanted, and that she was one step closer to being over the whole ordeal.

Sonny watched her and got up to go to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Sonny. I'm fine. Thanks."

"Carly?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to dance with me?" he asked nervously. He had to take the first step, even if it was as small as a dance.

Carly smiled. "Okay. I'd like that."


	5. This Night

1_Hey Melody/AJ, if you're still reading this you got me on like a writing kick for this story during that chat the other night because I couldn't wait to get to the Shameless chapter, and this is why I'm not really saying much on IM right now._

This Night, Part One

Carly took Sonny's outstretched hand, glad for a reason not to talk to anyone else. The downfall of her having distanced herself from everyone was that upon her return everyone asked her how she was doing, and the answer to the question always hurt. But for some reason she didn't mind telling Sonny about it. She guessed it was because Sonny seemed to actually care. His questions weren't just a formality or curious inquisition.

And now here they were sharing a dance. She remembered their high school homecoming in their freshman year. Sonny hadn't had a date and Jason was out of town with his family, so she had danced with Sonny all night. They had had a good time, but that was it. Nothing came out of that night, and nothing would come out of this night either. Or so she thought.

"Do you remember that high school dance?" Sonny asked smiling.

Carly laughed, and Sonny couldn't help beaming at her perfect face and laugh, and knowing that he was the one who made it happen.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about that," she told him. "Remember how carefree life was back then? No one ever thought of getting married and that kind of shit. Everything was all about which movie we were going to see that night and what song was number one on the charts. Who would have ever thought we would end up like this?"

"Not me," Sonny thought to himself.

"I know," he said to her, "all of us grown up and getting married, and you looking so beautiful tonight."

Carly blushed and Sonny did too. He hadn't meant to say that, it just sort of slipped out. "Sorry," he added. "I mean, if that offended you at all. It's just that I meant it earlier when I said you looked great."

"It's okay," she reassured him. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I should be thanking you right now, for the nice compliment you just paid me."

"Don't," he commanded, just above a whisper.

"Don't what?

"Don't thank me. It shouldn't be a chore for someone to call you beautiful. You deserve to be told you're beautiful every day."

Carly's heart fluttered. She knew it shouldn't. She wasn't even over Jason yet and she knew that any relationship she got into would just be a rebound thing, but Sonny had made her feel so good that night, so special. No one had been able to do that for a long time.

"You're a good man, Sonny," she told him softly.

He leaned down to kiss her, and she lifted his mouth to his. Their lips met, and then she pulled away. "I'm sorry, I just don't feel right doing this. I'm not ready for anything like this and it wouldn't be fair to you to pretend that I was."

Sonny shook his head. "It's okay. I shouldn't be doing this either. I can't do that to Jason. He's still in love with you. I can't just take that away from him. He's my best friend."

Now Carly was enraged. "That's what I hate about men. They can't just be with a woman because of love or passion. She's gotta be just another piece of property. Even you, talking about me like I belong to Jason or something. So what if he still loves me. Jason and I are divorced now. He has no right to prevent me from being with anyone I want. I don't belong to him."

"No, Carly, that's not what I was trying to say. All I was saying that it would hurt him if I did that, so until I know he's over you there could be nothing between us," he apologized.

"Who ever said I wanted there to be?"

"You kissed me too, remember?" he asked, angry as well. He hated to be accused of something he hadn't done. Sonny began to say more but then stopped himself. He knew how Carly could get when she was confronted. He did not want to deal with that.

"Look," he continued, "this was a mistake on both of our parts. Why don't we just forget it ever happened and go on being friends like we always have been?"

Carly thought about the possibilities and decided Sonny's suggestion was the best one there was. "Well, okay."

Lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

This Night, Part Two– three months later

Carly sat across the table from Sonny in his penthouse where they were having dinner. A waiter came in and served them their first course, a small salad dish.

She smiled at Sonny as the waiter walked away. Since James and Courtney's announcement party, the two had been the best of friends, seeing each other at least once a week. And they planned to remain just friends, even though Sonny still would have liked more. He had even taken his chances with Carly a few more times since then, taking his boss's advice to go for it, forget Jason. But Carly had resisted, saying she could only be friends with him, despite the fact that they had come close to kissing on several occasions. Carly and Sonny both knew what was there, but they were afraid of screwing things up.

"What?" Sonny asked upon seeing her smile.

"Nothing. I just had a really great time tonight. Thank you."

"I had a great time too, because you were there."

"Sonny," she said, warning.

"Carly, I know what's there, and I know you feel it too. I wish you would just admit it to yourself so you could admit it to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She was lying and everything on her face conveyed it. "Okay, Sonny, I'm sorry. I just can't do that right now. It's too much. I can't get hurt again."

"You can do it. I can't promise that I won't hurt you, but I can promise you that we can go as slow as you want. If you would just give me a chance I would be there for you forever. And when you say it's too much or it's time to stop, I will. I'll do whatever you say. Please, give me a chance. I know you want this just as much as I do. Just because your relationship went bad in the past doesn't mean that all relationships will be the same. You have to trust just a little bit."

Carly thought about what he said. She wanted to be with him so badly, yet she didn't want to ruin what they had. She had already done that with Jason. She did not want to do it again with Sonny. She felt more for him based on the past three months than she ever had with Jason over the course of five or six years.

"Sonny, I care about you, a lot more than I should. You know exactly what I'm talking about. And if we go into this right now we're going to end up arguing, like we always do. You said we would just be friends and that's all I'm ready for. So let's just drop it. Please."

"I can't drop it. I've dropped it too many times already and look where it's gotten me– nowhere. So I am going to fight for you like there's no tomorrow, and if I don't have you there may as well not be a tomorrow. Carly, I want you more than anything in this world, more than I've ever wanted any woman. You are incredible, Carly, you're amazing, beautiful, smart, perfect, everything, you're everything to me. I know you don't want to hurt Jason but you're divorced now, and you shouldn't deny yourself something you want so much just because of him. He's my best friend and I don't want to hurt him either, but I want you even more, and I–"

"Stop," she said, tears in her eyes as he approached her. "It's hard enough wanting you with out you doing this."

"You don't have to want me anymore, you can have me. Hell, you've had me since the minute you walked into James and Courtney's announcement party. Please, if I can't have you, just dance with me again so I can hold you and at least feel like I have you."

Carly stood up surrendering. She could hardly wait to feel his strong, comforting arms around her.

As soon as the music started Sonny knew he couldn't resist her tonight, and Carly knew that she would have trouble resisting him as well. When they were standing there with one another nothing else in the world seemed to matter, and Jason was the furthest thing from both of their minds. Carly looked up at Sonny and she knew that after this there was no turning back. Sonny lowered his mouth to reach hers. He had never imagined that this dream would come true.

_Didn't I say_

_I wasn't ready for a romance_

_Didn't we promise we would only be friends_

_And so we danced, though it was only a slow dance_

_I started breaking my promises _

_Right there and then_

Carly opened her mouth to his and moved her hands so they were around his neck. He undid the zipper to her dress and looked into her eyes, making sure she was ready to do this. He wasn't sure he was even ready, but letting her go now would be impossible.

_Didn't I swear_

_There would be no complications_

_Didn't you want _

_some one who's seen it all before_

_Now that you're here_

_It's not the same situation_

_Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore_

Sonny led her to the couch. "Is this what you want?" he asked.

She nodded. "I've never wanted anything so much."

Sonny kissed her again. He didn't care what the consequences would be. They would come when they did but for now the only thing that mattered to him was Carly. He never wanted her away from him again.

_This night is mine_

_It's only you and I_

_Tomorrow_

_Is a long time away_

_This night can last forever_

_This night..._

_Tomorrow_

_Is such a long time away_

_This night can last forever_


	6. Summer, Highland Falls

Summer, Highland Falls

_They say that these are not the best of times_

_But they're the only times I've ever known,_

_And I believe there is a time for meditation_

_In cathedrals of our own_

Jason sat alone at Jake's, his head in his hands. He couldn't get Carly out of his mind. Everywhere he went, everything he did, brought back memories of her. He didn't want to be thinking of her but he couldn't stop, especially after seeing her at James and Courtney's party. Everyone kept telling him he had to get over Carly, but that would be impossible, even if he did want to do it.

He took out his cell phone and called her parents' house. "Is Carly home?" he asked when Laura picked up the phone.

"No, Jason, I'm sorry. I think she said she was going to Sonny's," Laura told him.

Jason hung up, upset. "I should have known," he thought. Carly was always at Sonny's lately and Jason couldn't stand it. Sonny was supposed to be his best friend, he wasn't supposed to be seducing his wife. "Ex-wife," Jason had to remind himself.

He stood up and paid for his drinks, and then he trudged outside, not really knowing where he was going until he got there. He looked up at Harborview Towers wondering whether or not he should go in.

"All the way up please," Jason told the man working the elevator.

He stepped out of the elevator and greeted Max. "Hey, man. What's Sonny up to tonight? I have some business to discuss with him," Jason said as though he had no idea Carly was there.

"I'm not sure what Sonny's doing tonight, but the business will have to wait. Sonny said not to admit any guests tonight," Max informed him.

Jason was pissed. Here Sonny and Carly were acting like her relationship with Jason had never even existed. "Come on, Max, I'm Sonny's best friend, I can hardly be called a guest. Besides, he would want to hear this. It's a message from the boss," Jason argued, slurring his words, the alcohol starting to hit him.

Max sighed and took out his cell phone. Jason waited as he dialed a number and told Sonny what was going on. Max hung up and told Jason, "You can go in, but Sonny is not happy."

Max opened the door and added, "He said to wait here and he'll be down in a minute."

The room was empty, but there were two uneaten dinners on the table with candles set out everywhere. Jason knew that Carly and Sonny must be upstairs, what they were doing, well Jason didn't even want to think of that.

Sonny came downstairs with no shirt on and looking very nervous. Now Jason was sure that his suspicions were correct: his best friend had slept with the love of his life.

"This better be good, Jason," Sonny said upon entering the room, but Jason took no note that he had spoken.

"Where is she?" he asked, trying to remain calm. It was getting harder and harder as the alcohol kicked in. Jason still wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do when he found Carly there, but he had to do something. The drinks had given him an extra shot of confidence that let him believe he had a chance at winning Carly back.

"What are you talking about?" Sonny inquired. He knew Jason was talking about Carly, but he didn't want his best friend to know that she was right up in his room, waiting for him to come back to bed. As much as he loved Carly, Jason was still his best friend and like a brother to him. Sonny did not want to see him get hurt.

"Don't play dumb with me," Jason yelled, all thoughts of being calm having flown out the window. "I know she's here. I know she's upstairs in your bed. Don't lie to me, Sonny."

"She isn't here," he replied, lying again. "I'm sorry, Jason, but I don't know where Carly is. Look, man, you're drunk. Let me have Max drive you home."

"No! I'm not going anywhere until I've seen her," Jason shouted, pushing Sonny to the side and running up the stairs. Sonny chased him but Jason was already standing outside the bedroom with his hand on the knob.

Jason twisted the handle and then hesitated, as though hoping if he stood there long enough Carly would disappear and he could go on believing that nothing had happened in there.

He opened the door just a crack and heard Carly say, "Did you get Jason to leave? Come back to bed, Sonny."

Jason was furious and hurt. To hear her saying those words to a man besides himself cut Jason like a knife. He pushed the door open with great force and yelled, "No, he didn't get Jason to leave. I'm still right here and I'm not going away. Carly, why don't you see that I love you so much? All I've ever wanted is for you to return that, so why the hell don't you?"

He looked at her, sitting in Sonny's chair all curled up with a blanket. She looked happier than he had seen her in a long time, or she had until he barged into the room. After that she just looked afraid, afraid of him.

"Why don't you, Carly?" he asked again, desperately this time. "What happened to us?"

_Now I have seen the sad surrender in my lover's eyes_

_And I can only stand apart and sympathize_

_for we are always what our situations hand us_

_It's either sadness or euphoria_

Jason held his stare and realized she was crying. Had he really caused that? He hadn't meant to make her cry, he just wanted to get something out of her, anything, it didn't even matter what. It would be better than the nothing he normally received.

"I'm so sorry, Jase. I loved you, I really did, but you and I just weren't made for each other. We wanted to be, and we worked so damn hard at making our relationship work, but it just didn't. When we divorced it tore me apart for a long time, but I found a way to move on. And you haven't, Jason, and it kills me to see you acting like this," Carly told him, trying to control her tears. She had been happy with Sonny that night, and then Jason had to come in and make her feel guilty for what she'd done.

He took a step back. He hadn't known she felt that way, that the divorce had hurt her as much as it hurt him. But there were those two little words that he wasn't sure he knew the meaning of: "moved on." How was he supposed to move on from this; move on from the most important thing in his life?

"I can't move on. I refuse to accept that you and I are over after what we had. If this was supposed to end it wouldn't have hurt so much."

"I loved you for seven years. Of course it's going to hurt when we split up, but it had to be done. If we had stayed together we would be just as miserable as we were after the divorce. And I was miserable, but then I made the decision that I couldn't dwell on what had happened. I had to be happy and make the most of every situation. I am now, I'm happy."

_So we'll argue and we'll compromise_

_And realize that nothing's ever changed_

_For all our mutual experience,_

_Our separate conclusions are the same_

"Well, I'm not like you. I can't be happy without you. I can't just decide to be happy," Jason said.

"Yes, you can. You just won't let yourself. You keep holding on to this thing that doesn't exist anymore and it's getting in the way of the rest of your life."

"I have no life without you!" he protested.

"You do. It might take some searching to find it, to find a way to live by yourself, or at least without me. It's hard and it hurts, but I know from experience that it can be done," Carly reassured him.

"It can't be done, not by me. I can't just stop caring about you. Maybe that's something you're capable of, but I'm not," Jason told her.

"I didn't stop caring about you," Carly argued. "I never stopped caring about you. We were young and stupid– and in love, yes– when we decided to get married. But somewhere along the way we fell apart and stopped working. I'm not sure we ever really worked. So we got a divorce and I moved on. You were my husband, Jason, and I will always love you and care about you, just in a different way than I used to."

Jason just nodded. Hearing her voice and hearing her say she had cared about him and had loved him, even if she didn't still, made him feel so much better. He thought about what she said, how he would be miserable right now even if they were still married and he had to smile. She was right, they had driven each other crazy. They had had their happy times, and their unhappy times and they had both been wrong. Of course it was still hard knowing that they would never be together again, but they'd given it their best shot and it just hadn't been enough. He would just have to learn to accept that.

"I'm sorry, Carly. Sorry for everything I put you through, sorry for tonight. You're right about all that you said. I don't know how long it's going to take me to move on, but I'm going to try," Jason said, trying to smile at her.

"So the Jason and Carly story ends tonight?" she asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't say it's ending totally. I mean, we gave it a hell of a run..."

"Friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll try."

_Now we are forced to recognize our inhumanity_

_Our reason coexists with our insanity_

_And though we choose between reality and madness,_

_it's either sadness or euphoria._

"Thanks, Jason. And I'm sorry that you had to walk in here and find out about me and Sonny this way. We should have thought to tell you about it before."

"I'm sorry too, for the way I treated you tonight– like you'd committed some kind of crime. You didn't deserve that. I just had something in my head, some voice or whatever, telling me that the only way I could live was with you as my wife. But you're right, we were way too dysfunctional to last very long. We would have never made it," Jason replied, much calmer now.

"No, I think we could have if we were different people, but obviously we're not. We were stupid to think we could, but we were also in love, and for a while there that love was able to override all the negative aspects of our marriage, but as time went on it couldn't anymore. I'm just relieved we got out in time to be able to be friends again."

_How thoughtlessly we dissipate our energies_

_Perhaps we don't fulfill each other's fantasies_

_And as we stand upon the ledges of our lives, _

_It's either sadness or euphoria _


End file.
